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Medford Knives: American-Made Blades

Made By Patriots, For Patriots!

There are more than a few givens in life. The sun is gonna come up sooner or later. Coffee smells good in the morning. Fish gotta’ swim. The taxman cometh. And Medford Knife & Tool makes some kick-ass knives. If you didn’t know about the latter, we’re here to explain!

Knives reveal a whole lot about the people who design them, and this is certainly true in Greg Medford’s case. As a teen growing up in Arizona, Medford studied martial arts. “My dad was a martial Artist and into Japanese blades and it fueled the fire,” Greg tells us.

Following his father’s lead, he became involved in edged steel in the mid-1980’s when he started using and restoring period Japanese swords. He served his country in the US Marine Corps from 1988 to 1992 and was an active in both Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield in the early ’90s. After he left the service, he honed his martial arts skills to become a trainer and used his experience entertaining audiences as an air show stunt pilot.

After turning 40 in 2010, Medford looked around and decided a new career was in order. “My time in the Marine Corps as an Infantryman was formative in that I found out how soldiers on the front line use their knives,” Greg says. “I saw how they succeed and fail, and it was invaluable in helping me create new designs. My 30 years as a martial artist were rooted in the pragmatism of real-world scenarios, so I ignored the BS of so-called ‘experts’ and honed in on the reality of blade design for actual carry and use. I wanted to make something to last a thousand years and still be useful. Knives fit the bill.”

Tough As Nails

Medford’s knives might best be described as overbuilt. Failure was not an option in any of his careers, and his knives follow the rigors of his past.

“I want my company to make knives men can leave to their sons,” he explains. “I want aliens to find them and respect our lost civilization as badass warriors. I want a guy going into the scariest shit in his life to reach down and feel the trusted heft of the knife we made for him, and have even the tiniest bit more confidence to tip the scales in favor of his safe return to his loved ones. I want the words of Crocodile Dundee to force their way out of the mouths of people who get our knife in their hands for the first time.”

One characteristic to set Medford’s knives apart is the extensive use of thick steel. Virtually every knife Greg makes — regardless of size or whether it’s a fixed-blade or folder — uses thick, beefy, blade steel. Rather than follow trends, Medford marches to his own drummer when it comes to choices in steel.

“We offer D2, CPM S35VN and CPM 3V blade steels. D2 is a great steel for almost everything — not the best at anything, but awesome at everything. I like S35VN for maritime applications and CPM 3V is well-equipped in the strength department,” Medford says.

“I’m a pretty simple dude — selling my design, originality and approach to knife making. We don’t rely on gimmickry or steel fads to try and differentiate what we do. I think most exotic steel is straight hogwash and I doubt most users could tell the difference between O-1 and S35VN if it weren’t stamped on the blade.”

The Praetorian tactical folder is Medford’s flagship knife and it’s not hard to understand why. It’s a behemoth. A 3.75″ modified tanto blade — over a .25″ thick — mates up to an industrial strength handle 5.25″ in length. The frame rails are milled titanium with a frame-lock mechanism and heavy-duty pocket clip on back. A less expensive, thinner all-titanium frame or G10 combination frame model, with slightly thinner blade steel, is also available.

For those who don’t need a knife as large as the Praetorian, Medford offers the slightly more slender Viper Flipper and smaller Flipper F.U.K. models. Both have aggressive looks and the added benefit of a flipper opener on the backside of the handle.
If it’s pure straight knives you’re looking for, the company’s fixed-blade lineup will dazzle you.

The 8.75″ Emperor, which the Praetorian was styled after, is near identical in design with much the same blade and handle specs. For a sheer wicked dagger the 10″ Black Ops Anti-Personnel (BOA-P) dagger combines new-age styling with the combat prowess of time-proven design.
Want the punch of a bulldog? Medford’s BOA-B Breecher dagger model is your ticket. The BOA-B features 9.75″ of thick spear-point blade, just as comfortable taking down doors as it is penetrating anything crossing its path. This is just a sampling of Medford’s offerings — a cursory glance through their catalog shows more than 35 models and growing.

Fueled by Vets!

Greg Medford is as patriotic as the day is long, and he puts military veterans to work making knives every chance he gets.

“My company employs nine combat vets, one former wildlife firefighter and my wife,” Greg relates. “I love these guys. They like to work, enjoy responsibility, have thick skins and are gruff like me. We’re all a good fit. I ask a guy to learn a program for a new machine and it’s done. No crying or excuses. I assign a mission and they get it accomplished. They appreciate my trust, vision, honesty and clarity — and I love their faith and dedication and can-do spirit. I am blessed by them every day.”

Medford is driven to make the best edged weapons and tools possible.

“I want to change the world … one knife at a time. I’m not kidding. I want competitors to chase our lead as we give people the best, real, honest and enjoyable experience possible. I want my fellow Americans to be inspired to follow their dreams. I want them to pay an honest dollar for the baddest blades on the planet and know that a lifetime of support and follow-through is included in the price.”

Medford does it the “American Way” and he wouldn’t have it any other way. His customers are private users, military main-line units and Spec Ops guys, from SEALS to Rangers to Recon personnel. “We even have a ridiculously passionate collector following, growing daily,” says Greg.

Prices for Medford’s knives start at $275 for a base model fixed-blade to an average of $600 to $1,200 for his higher end fare. What you get is a 100 percent American-made knife crafted to perfection by the people who fought to keep our country great — not a whole lot of companies can say that!
By Pat Covert